College basketball odds: Kentucky facing tough test from Arkansas

The Kentucky Wildcats are just three games away from a perfect regular season with a 28-0 straight-up and 15-12-1 against-the-spread record. The Wildcats face their latest test this Saturday afternoon when they host the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Kentucky is still the clear favorite to win the NCAA tournament this season at 1/1, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Arkansas' offense could give Kentucky a challenge, but pulling off an outright upset at Rupp Arena would be atall order.

The Wildcats have seemingly seemingly improved through the season; over the last two weeks they've had a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS record. All four of Kentucky's recent wins have been by at least 18 points, with the offense churning out 81.8 points per game over that stretch. Then again, all four of those games were against teams with losing records in the SEC; Arkansas will provide a much more legitimate test for the Wildcats.

The Razorbacks have been one of the best teams in the nation on offense this season, ranking 10th in scoring with 79.5 points per game. Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls lead the team in both scoring and rebounding and have led Arkansas to a 7-0 SU record over its last seven games. This high-powered offense will face its biggest obstacle of the season on Saturday going up against a Kentucky defense that allows only 52.7 points per game, the second lowest total in the country.

Arkansas has fared well against Kentucky in recent seasons with a 4-1 SU and ATS record in its last five games against the Wildcats according to the OddsShark College Basketball Database, including an upset as a 10-point underdog in Kentucky last year. Kentucky was 10-0 SU and 8-2 ATS in its previous 10 games against Arkansas before this recent stretch.

If Arkansas can push the tempo and turn this game into a shootout, the Razorbacks have a chance. But if Kentucky establishes its strong defensive game, Arkansas will have trouble doing the same.

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